


Rendezvous

by Darkrealmist



Category: Magic: The Gathering
Genre: Ambition, Canon Compliant, Card Games, Character Death, Character Study, Crisis of Faith, Fantasy, Female-Centric, Gen, Gods, Historians, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Kamigawa, Legends, Libraries, Magic, POV Alternating, Philosophy, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, School, Spirits, Storytelling, Strong Female Characters, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, Wordcount: Over 1.000, Wordcount: Under 10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-08 10:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19105342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkrealmist/pseuds/Darkrealmist
Summary: The tale of Kaho, a misled scholar whose intrigue with the knowledge of Kamigawa’s spirit realm results in her undoing.





	Rendezvous

Rendezvous

Author’s Note: Wrote this thirteen years ago. Enjoy the story and R&R.

Card Reference: <http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74055>

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of Magic: The Gathering.

Summary:

The tale of Kaho, a misled scholar whose intrigue with the knowledge of Kamigawa’s spirit realm results in her undoing.

* * *

The history of Kamigawa runs rampant with the stories of great heroes and others of legendary status. Lands once trembled and worshipped the all-powerful daimyo, Konda. Jushi students mastered mystical arts at the Minamo School under the guidance of Sensei Hisoka and Lady Azami. Trees and fields of flowers grew wherever the monk, Azusa, passed. The rats bowed down to their lord, Marrow-Gnawer, and Akki poets recited praise of Zo-Zu the Punisher.

So begins the tale of Kaho, Minamo Historian. A glimpse into the revelatory encounter that succeeded life and death.

…

Kamigawa…At a time, it was a peaceful and prosperous world. For reasons beyond our knowledge, the gods have descended upon us, undoing the centuries of work that human hands have strived to complete. Villages have been reduced to ash, forests torn apart by uncontrollable plant growth, and the earth tremors with an unceasing roar.

Other races became involved, but this too became a weakness. Instead of uniting together to withstand the horrors that now plague us, we have condemned ourselves. We do not die alone, but along with thousands of others. We huddle in the corners of our homes, fear-stricken and praying for solace that will never come. While the armies of Daimyo Konda have accepted the aid of the kitsune-bito, many resist offers of peace. The Akki continue to raid the fox settlements, and nezumi gangs strike down anyone who enters Takenuma. Even the Daimyo's closest associates, the soratami, have proven disloyal as of late.

While I have complete confidence in the Daimyo and his forces, I am unable to drown my worry. It seems that the Kami War will never end. How can we face the very beings we formerly worshipped? Konda appears unfazed by this notion; he fights with the same vigour as a soldier of thirty years, and his plans are always carried out with swiftness that rivals the speed of the spirits themselves.

A cool breeze passed by the wind chime that hung from the roof. It sounded softly as its pieces swayed back and forth in the calm air. Most of these pieces were fashioned from gold. The rest, from glass. Its rhythmic tones soothed.

A cloud of ill omen looms. With the recent coming of the Great Old Serpent, O-Kagachi, I fear the worst. The Kami of All Things has entered our realm, bringing him destruction beyond mortal imagination. Each time the spirit surfaces, he removes a part of this world. Day by day, I sit here, recording these events.

I am Kaho, the head historian of the Minamo School. The main campus and library hover at the edge of the Kamitaki Falls. Below us is Kamigawa’s longest river, the Yumegawa. Above us in the clouds lies Oboro, the palace of the aristocratic soratami. It is the nexus for all moonfolk affairs. Very few have had the opportunity to travel there. I was escorted there when I began my work as historian, but never since have I laid eyes on their beautiful cities again. How I wish to relive that experience!

I leave my brush, still half-coated in ink, next to the scroll, and step through the shoji that separates the library and balcony, peering out over the misty waters below. The spray from the waterfall was refreshing, and the sunlight peeking over the horizon cast a shimmering glow across the river.

I yawn, listening intently to the wind chime again. The kami burst forth from the Kamitaki. The barrier between the Utsushiyo and Kakuriyo is weakest there. From here, the newer breeds of spirits arose.

This is one of my bad habits. I am so accustomed to telling the tale that it is impossible for me to discontinue, even after abandoning my workstation.

The kami of good fortune were the first to enter the material realm anew. Fierce spirits that took the forms of horse-sea dragon hybrids, the kirin invaded the skies with their holy light, blinding those who still held true to their beliefs.

Then, the onna arrived. Ghostly women described in lore. Silent, faceless creatures hidden in shadow. When confronted, their featureless masks would adopt the likenesses of past loved ones to confuse assailants. Leading them away, never to be seen again. From the watery threshold, deaths of this nature became more frequent. Some were said to have died in the thorny grasps of burgeoning blooms, while others were said to have disappeared into suffocating smog.

“Kaho-san.”

“Lady Azami, I didn’t expect you to return so soon.”

I re-enter the library, closing the screen door. A chill ran up my spine. It was Azami Ozu, Minamo's head archivist.

Despite her position as one of the leading authorities of the school, Azami’s presence was unsettling. Her olive-green hair dangled freely from her head, and she, unlike the rest of the school's residents, wore a red kimono. Everyone else wore blue. Aside from the fame that the librarian amassed documenting ancient texts, she was also known for her astuteness and untrustworthy behaviour.

According to senior students, Azami was purportedly the murderer of Atsuko Shimazaki, the previous librarian, who succumbed to illness after eating a sweet mushroom salad Azami prepared. However, because she also consumed a smaller portion of the food and became ill, others were convinced of the honest mistake.

“We have located the remnants of a kami shrine downriver. The villagers nearby say it was the sanctum of an omnipotent spirit. I want you to go there and examine the ruins. Report back in two days.”

“A shrine? What do you hope to gain from this investigation? If it has been destroyed, then surely the divinity that occupied it has fled,” I remark.

“Yes. For your sake, I hope that’s true.”

“Really? Why would the all-wise Azami Ozu be concerned with my safety?”

“I assure you, Kaho-san, my concerns lie only with accessing the infinite knowledge the kami covet to themselves. With each finding, we grow closer to unravelling the secrets of the gods.”

“Knowing the spirits would rebel, you still ordered the destruction of all the kami shrines…Was it for this reason you willingly handed over the lives of millions to them on a silver platter?”

“I beg your pardon?” Azami’s expression changed.

“It was because of you they became violent! Had the shrines not been demolished, the kami would not have turned on us!”

“What makes you think I have anything to do with that?”

I remove a folded piece of paper from the shelf, and place it on the table. It was a letter:

_Choices belong to those with the luxuries of time and distance. We have neither. I recommend we proceed with the plan to destroy all shrines of the kami._

_–Lady Azami_

“I found this letter several weeks ago going through the library’s old records. Do you feel no remorse for your actions?”

“Be wary of your words, Kaho-san. You’re walking on thin ice.”

“I will depart immediately!” I glare at her. “The knowledge I return with will be far too great for even you to comprehend! It will be your undoing!”

Azami smiled. “We will see.”

…

Kaho shifted uneasily during the ride downriver. Lady Azami had provided her with a small vessel and guide to accompany her. Yet the young advisor appointed to the task was not permitted to follow her into the shrine upon reaching their destination.

The escort prepared to dock the craft as the temple came into view. He halted the boat at the riverside, anchoring it to a fallen tree with some rope. He bid the woman farewell, and handed her the supplies in the back of the ship.

It took Kaho another hour by foot to reach the shrine. Thick underbrush prevented her from moving quickly. She had to clear away the plants with wind magic to get through.

Two statues had been erected around the entrance to the shrine. Their features were similar to those of a serpent, and both sported menacing claws.

Taking a breath, she stepped into the holy area, whereupon a high-pitched buzzing noise suddenly shot by her ears, and she gasped in pain. When the ringing subsided, Kaho found herself in an unfamiliar place.

This room was home to many statues, identical to the sentries “outside.” Boulders buried a collapsed torii. Across, a name was inscribed in kanji: 否命.

Kaho stared at the carving with curiosity. “Iname.”

Her grandmother spoke of the name in her stories.

Iname was one of the first kami who escaped the Great Void, a soul that spent eternity in search of purpose. His success at producing a child labelled him the Kami of Life. Dark intentions then led him to undo his own work. Killing the child, he became the Kami of Death.

 _Could this be the shrine of Iname?_ Kaho asked herself.

A pair of lidless eyes met her own.

An enormous creature was watching her. The sadness on its face was concealed beneath a flurry of twig-like spines. It possessed decaying flesh, wings of foliage, and long fingers extending from bony hands. Orbiting the spirit were skull and petal aspects, minor kami attendants.

Kaho was in awe. Before her was a being representing two of the world's most ancient forces.

Though mute, the deity spoke to her telepathically. _Human, you have wandered into my domain. What is it you seek?_

“I am a mere scholar, wishing for you to bestow upon me your vast knowledge,” she answered.

_What will you offer in exchange?_

“When the time comes for me to pass on, I will surrender my body to your kind.”

 _Very well then._ Iname pointed at her. _Our knowledge is yours._

Kaho screamed as she was bombarded by coronae. Her eyes melted out their sockets, and her mind was disassembled by scorching waves.

Iname kept his end of the bargain. Now, it was her turn…

…

“So Kaho is dead, is she?”

“Yes, Azami-sensei. The spirit took her body for itself.”

Azami laughed, “Inform Hisoka we need a new historian.”

The young jushi bowed.

Azami snuffed the library’s lanterns. “I gave up everything to arrive where I am today. It seems you have finally learned the truth for yourself, Kaho-san: Power and knowledge come at a great price. If only you’d been aware of that from the beginning.”


End file.
